


new neighbor.

by sweetnothings04



Category: Joker (2019)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:48:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27180649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetnothings04/pseuds/sweetnothings04
Summary: a vignette of your first kiss with a new neighbor.
Relationships: Arthur Fleck/You
Comments: 5
Kudos: 24





	new neighbor.

**Author's Note:**

> for izzy 💚  
> in this story, arthur is older than in the film.

Inviting Arthur over for dinner one night was just the beginning. Since he had become your new neighbor, you would go and peak past the curtains on your windows, hoping to catch even just a glimpse of his graying curls. There was an undeniable draw to the soft-spoken, sweet temperament of the man who now lived next door to you that left you wanting to know more about him in every way. When he had accepted your invitation, you could hardly contain the squeal that formed in the cave of your throat. 

The dinner was comfortable despite the nerves in your belly; small talk and easy conversation flowed between bites of the meal. When he said nothing but closed his eyes and smiled deeply at the first bite of dessert you made, you couldn’t help but smile back as you forgot about your own plate and simply watched him.

The invitation for him to come back sometime soon came naturally as you walked him to the door, and you were excited that his adamant “yes” came as soon as the question passed your lips. 

The weeks went on, and the dinners became longer, extending deeper into the night as you got to know each other better. The end of the night always came much too soon, and the only awkwardness came from how both of you wondered how you could express that you wish it didn’t have to end quite yet. 

You had the TV on one night, turned on low in the living room while you ate. As you finished your desserts, you watched as Arthur glanced towards the TV. “Oh, I used to love this show,” he said with a small smile. 

“Do you want to stay and watch?” you asked. 

And this is how you found yourselves for the first time removed from the barrier of the kitchen table, sitting side-by-side on the couch and laughing together. The comfort was simple. Arthur’s warmth seemed to radiate from the small gap between you, making you feel safe and brimming with happiness to be closer to him than ever, in every way. 

One night you awoke to the sound of Arthur’s gentle voice calling your name through the dark. Your cracked your eyes open and saw the TV still on, and the feeling of something soft but sturdy under your cheek. You turned and peeked up to see Arthur looking down at you, a shy smile on his face and a sparkle in his wide eyes. 

“Sorry, you, uh, fell asleep. I didn’t want to wake you but it’s getting late.”

You lifted your head from his shoulder and apologized. He assured you there was nothing to apologize for.

Your incidental slip onto his shoulder that night in turn became the catalyst for a new kind of comfort found with each other. Cuddling on the couch became a natural progression. Arthur would loop his arm around you as you fell into him, comforted by the solidity of his body against yours. 

One night you found yourself laying down together, him to the back of the couch and spooning you from behind as you laid in front of him, hardly paying attention to the show that was babbling on and instead playing with his hand. 

You held it affectionately and traced the paths of his veins, marveling at the soft, worn skin that had been through so much before ending up safely between both of yours. 

You couldn’t see Arthur behind you, watching with a smile tugging at his lips, curiosity bubbling inside him as he watched your hands play with his.

“What’re you doing?” he finally asked, his voice barely a whisper. 

You turned around in his arms in response, his hands coming to your back to make sure you didn’t fall off the edge. You settled and looked at him. Your faces had never been so close, and you felt electric with euphoria and anticipation. 

You brought your hand to his face then as you observed him. His hair was slightly longer now than when he had moved in. A stray curl rested on his forehead. You tucked it back and noted how his stubble had become scruff, covering more of his cheeks. You passed your hand along the soft hairs and traced the lines, both shallow and deep, that mapped his face. His eyes fluttered shut as he melted at the feeling of your touch while you traced his features with a tenderness he didn’t know was possible before. Your hands mirrored the paths they took with his hands, tracing love patterns along every dimple, wrinkle, and freckle, observing and memorizing as much as you could. Your fingers danced along his laugh lines and the tracks of fallen tears that you hadn’t gotten to wipe away before you knew him. 

When he opened his eyes, they locked with yours. And in that moment, you both knew. 

You felt the movement in his chest as he inhaled and leaned into you, at long last bringing his lips to yours. They pressed against you gently, fully, and trembled slightly when he felt you kiss him back.

The hair of his beard tickled you slightly. There was no barrier between you now, now for the first time ever, and your breathing intermingled as your lips latched to each other’s with a desperate, mutual longing that had culminated and finally could be released. Everything had led to this, and it was finally happening. When you broke apart, you both looked at each other again, your chests rising and falling deeply. He smiled at you, the same smile he had given that day you first offered your dinner invitation. His eyes crinkled, and his whole face lit up as he cupped your face in his hands.

“Please, stay with me,” you finally said, moving your arms around him and pulling him close. 

He tucked a strand of hair behind your ear before sliding it back down to cup your cheek again.

“I wouldn’t dream of it. I’m not going anywhere.” 

Your eyes brimmed with happy tears as he leaned in and kissed your forehead before moving to your lips for the second time, the second time of what would be many more to come.


End file.
